Special Operations and Intelligence

In the Y Service

I had done quite well at German at school, and had also been to stay in Germany with a family, just as...

Poole, The Pigeon Message Service

As I was only born in june 1940 my memories of WW2 are scant but still very vivid, owing to the fact...

My Life at Dunstable's Meteorological Office

Four went to Bletchley Park and the other three including myself went to Dunstable. The Met Office closed...

Initial Training or Endurance Test

I was told to report to Tullichewan Castle on Loch Lomond. Some of the girls were crying so I got up,...

The Athenia

On Sunday 3rd September 1939, within a few hours of war being declared the Donaldson Liner Athenia, bound...

From School Girl to Code Breaker

I was a pupil at Southampton Grammar School for Girls when war was thought to be imminent and on the 2nd...

An Interrogator's Life (Part 3)

In winter 1945, CSDIC moved from the comfortable Villa Porsche to the Graz area, where an empty sanatorium...

Mosquito to Sweden

George met me outside the ops room, "it's all right Robby we are going to Sweden". "What,...

Noor Inayat Khan

The birth of Noor Inayat Khan took place on January 2nd, 1914 in the Kremlin; a strange place indeed, for...

Memories of a Macedonian Partisan Commander for the Members of the British SOE Mission in Macedonia, November 1943-May 1944

This story is submited by Goran Cekov who has translated from Macedonian into English the memories of his...

Animals in War

The pigeon homed soon after dawn the next morning exhausted and wet,as the air search crew had a poor radio...

A Wartime Winter Journey with the WAAF to Bletchley Park

Thus it was that six of us destined to be 'Special Duties’ set off at 4.30 on February 7th 1942...

'Kenley Lass' and 'Phillipe'

After the pick-up time was delayed by bad weather, a bird arrived at her loft in East Grinsted at 16.30hrs...

Spies in Scotland

At one point Churchill was heard to declare that the Germans were to be made to believe that the second...

The Spying Game

At this time it was suspected there were still a few German stragglers – the French had spotted a...

Kenley Lass and Philippe

Phillipe'now carried 2 Pigeons with him and being a Frenchman was familiar with the area and knew an...

Resistance Fighter from Yugoslavia

One story he did tell me though--An Australian Sergeant in a jeep come around with an Italian priest in the...

Home Service in the Metropolitan Police War Reserve in Central London

During his duty with A Division, he was to be located at the following Police Stations: Rochester Row;...

Special Operations Executive in the Far East

I finished my meal and went down the passage to the storeroom where they had the coal as I had been...

The "Other Deception" Operation - Fortitude North....

We travelled through all the major towns from Kent in the South East through to the Midlands to Yorkshire...

HMS Cape Sable

In June 1941 my father reached Liverpool on the SS Empress of Australia as a survivor from the sinking of...

National Pigeon Service

Denis Whelan - His Association with Bletchley Park

In May 1942 I was called for an interview at the Forgein Office and, as a result, received notice of...

Wartime - Bletchley Park WAAF 1942 - 47.

After 10 weeks training at Cranwell, Lincolnshire, I was a teleprinter operator and at first posted to...

Lily, Bob, and a Cat called Pyro.

Bob flew in flying boats with a cat called Pyro and teamed up with fellow photographer Keith Medley for the...

Britain's Secret Army - Chapter 2

It included poachers and gamekeepers,ghillies, stalkers, verderers from the New Forest, farmers and their...